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By Laura Gonzalez – News Editor

Jonathan Law’s Science Club won its first medals at the Science Olympiad Invitational which was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on January 24.

The Science Club, which was in the competition for the third straight year, placed first in the Bungee Drop event and fourth in the Mission Possible events, winning a total of three medals against teams from all over the nation despite several weather challenges.

The club’s co-advisor, chemistry teacher Ms. Turcotte, said she is pleased with the club’s accomplishments and improvement in their short time together.

“As a group we’ve learned more each year about how it is what we’re expected and what we need to do to improve our scores, and overall I think everyone is getting what they need to do,” Turcotte said. “The kids are becoming more prepared and I really think that winning medals at this Olympiad is going to motivate them to work even harder for the Connecticut Olympiad.”

Physics teacher Mr. Stanton, the club’s second co-advisor, said he too is very proud of students for their amazing improvement and the hard work they have put in.

“I get a great deal of enjoyment watching people grow and learn and I have seen a lot of that in the Science Club,” Stanton said.

Science Club members have been preparing their events for this invitational since the beginning of the school year, with some members preparing for up to three events since only 15 students and two runners are allowed to participate in the events. There are a total of 24 events.

Despite all the work, club members described the experience very positively and look forward to returning to the MIT Olympiad and others to come.

“Science Club is so much fun, it is a lot of work, it is almost like you are taking a whole other class but it is so worth it when you get there (the Olympiad) because it is just so fun,” said Alessandra Alling, a third year member.

Turcotte and Stanton described the club as mostly student-run and they attributed a large part of the club’s success to officers Emma Shea (treasurer), James Mercaldo (secretary), Alessandra Alling (vice-president), and Sravya Jaladanki (president).

Jaladanki is not only the club’s president, but also its founder. She approached Turcotte and Stanton during her sophomore year and now says she is very sad to leave something she has worked so hard for, but she has enjoyed her run.

“It’s been a lot of stress and a lot of planning. I’ve been president for three years and seeing the club grow from nothing to winning medals is really amazing,” Jaladanki said. “Everyone in the club is great, no one judges each other no matter what their level in science, and I feel that everyone starts to naturally develop a love for science once they enter the club.”

Turcotte and Stanton also acknowledged the Tech-Ed department for the support they provided for students on the building events.

Everyone is excited with the club’s wins and, despite losing a large group of seniors, is anxious to see what the team can achieve with their new found experience.

Kavita Rana, first place winner for the Bungee Jump as a first year member, described the Olympiad as an intimidating experience but also exciting, and said she believes the club can do even better at their next competition.

“I was probably nervous the entire time there but it was really fun, just watching everyone compete is really exciting and truly motivates you to do well,” Rana said. “I think it’d be fun to go back. I think we can do much better next time.”

All members are presently working on improving each event for their last completion this year the Science Olympiad at UConn this March.

“Jordan Negron and I placed well in our event, the Scrambler, which involved building a car with a braking system, and are currently making improvements to make our car run faster and brake more smoothly,” said Shea, a junior and first year member. “And we hope to improve as a team in our competition at UConn.”